Traditional Q’eqchi’ Maya Reproductive Ethnomedicine

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Part of the SpringerBriefs in Plant Science book series (BRIEFSPLANT)

Abstract

Traditional healing and herbalism practices can be very particular to the individual practitioner, and people’s knowledge is always being enhanced by experience and exposure to others’ knowledge. Traditional Q’eqchi’ Maya medicine is dynamic and continues to advance on the individual level as remedies, preparations, and treatments are refined, or newly discovered. Maya traditional medicine at the medical system level continues to make advancements as well, and research efforts such as this study make a contribution in support of this continued advancement. Plant-based remedies and other traditional treatments are supplying primary healthcare for much of the Maya world, much as they always have. It is only that with each successive generation there are far fewer practitioners and keepers of this important knowledge. Though in-depth knowledge of traditional plant-based treatments still remains in the Belizean Q’eqchi’ community, today this knowledge is mostly held by Q’eqchi’ elders, with very few young Maya apprenticing. The detailed documentation of such knowledge can be utilized in educational efforts to train Q’eqchi’ youth in traditional Maya medicine. The results of this study function as a reference to those practicing traditional medicine, those who wish to learn traditional Q’eqchi’ medicine, and biomedical practitioners who wish to take an integrative approach or provide culturally competent care to their indigenous patients. Efforts to integrate traditional indigenous medicine and biomedicine in Belize and regionally can benefit as well from thorough ethnomedical documentation and associated bioactivity verification.

Keywords

Q’eqchi’ Maya reproductive ethnomedicine Herbalism among the Q’eqchi’ Maya Maya traditional medicine Plant-based ethnopharmacopoeia for reproductive health Fertility treatment in Q’eqchi’ Maya culture Pregnancy in Q’eqchi’ Maya ethnomedicine Fertility in Q’eqchi’ Maya ethnomedicine Infant care in Q’eqchi’ Maya ethnomedicine 
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Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Dept. of Plant & Microbial BiologyNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighUSA

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